Dear 8th Grade Families,  

 

Murray Middle School has a fantastic tradition of traveling to Washington, D.C. each January with 

members of the 8th grade class. This trip is both wonderfully fun and educational! The US history and 

civics lessons your child learns in school are brought to life when they tour the US Capitol Building, set foot 

in the Lincoln Memorial and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers in Arlington National 

Cemetery. They will tour D.C’s monuments and memorials, explore the Smithsonian Museums and dance 

the night away aboard a dinner cruise with a DJ on the Potomac River!  

 

The Basics: 

Trip dates are January 20th-25th, 2019.   

There are 160 seats available. We will take approximately 134 students, 20 chaperones and six 

school sta� members. All student seats are first come, first served. After the seats are filled, we will 

start a waiting list. Should a traveler fall behind on payments, a member of the waiting list will be 

called.   

A limited number of parent chaperones will be needed. If you are interested in being a chaperone, 

please fill out the included chaperone application form and return to Mr. Moretta 

JC.Moretta@stjohns.k12.fl.us by October 1st. Chaperones will be chosen at random. Once selected, 

chaperones will be asked to log-in and make payment.   

 

Payment Information:  

To register, make a deposit and reserve a seat, please see attached registration info sheet.  ○ Student Price (Shared room with 4 people and 2 beds) - $954 per person 

○ Student Price (Shared room with 3 people and 2 beds) - $999 per person 

○ Adult Price (Shared room with 2 people and 1 or 2 beds) - $1,089 per person 

○ Adult Price (Private room with 1 or 2 beds) - $1,359 per person 

Due Dates: 

○ 33.3% ( of total) per traveler to be submitted by October 1st, 2018.  

○ 33.3% per traveler to be submitted by November 1st, 2018.   

○ FULL PAYMENT of BALANCE to be paid no later than December 6th, 2018.   

Should you choose to cancel and not attend the trip, all payments are refundable.   

For payment related questions, please contact Green Light Group Tours at 904-819-1820 ex. 320 or 

email help@greenlightgrouptours.com .   

 

Looking forward to seeing you in Washington, D.C!!  

 

  

Online Passenger Registration  

Murray Middle School  8th Grade Class Trip 

Washington, DC January 20th-25th, 2019  

Final Registration Date: October 1st, 2017  

 Create your account and register at:  

 trips.TourOpsPro.com 

      

  When prompted, enter the Trip Registration Code:  

MMS2019DC 

  **Registration Code is cAsE SenSiTiVE 

  

Need Help? Have Questions?  

help@greenlightgrouptours.com 

 

 

 

Murray Middle School 8th Grade   

Sunday, January 20th  6:30pm Buses arrive at school 150 N. Holmes Blvd   7:00pm Depart school on deluxe motor coaches 11-hour drive with 2-hours bu�er time Astro Travel & Tours 850.514.1793 

 Monday, January 21st  

8:00am Arrive in our Nation’s Capital, Washington D.C! Meet your Green Light tour managers Breakfast at the Hilton Crystal City, opportunity to brush your teeth and change clothes   

2399 Je�erson Davis Hwy  Arlington, VA 22202  703.418.3762 

10:00am Visit the new Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture  12:15pm Lunch in the American History Museum 1:00pm Explore the Smithsonian Museum of American History 2:30pm Visit the National Archives where you will see the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution 4:00pm Check into hotel, the Hilton Crystal City 6:30pm Dinner at Buca di Beppo 8:15pm See the FDR, MLK and Thomas Je�erson Memorials illuminated at night  10:00pm Arrive back at hotel  

 

Tuesday, January 22nd  7:00am Continental breakfast at hotel 9:00am Guided bus/walking tour of Washington’s monuments and historic places to include the Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Wall White House photo opportunity   12:30pm Lunch at the USDA Food Court  2:00pm Explore the US Holocaust Memorial Museum   4:30pm Shake hands with all 44 presidents at Madame Tussaud’s Museum of Wax  5:30pm Load buses  7:00pm Dinner and jousting tournament at Medieval Times 10:00pm Arrive back at hotel  

 Wednesday, January 23rd  

7:00am Continental breakfast at hotel 9:00am Visit Ford’s Theatre and the Petersen House 10:15am Group photo in front of the Capitol  11:00am Tour of the U.S. Capitol 12:00pm Lunch in the Capitol Visitors Center 1:15pm Visit the House or Senate Gallery 2:30pm See the Supreme Court  3:30pm Choice of the Smithsonian Museum of Air and Space or the Hirshhorn Museum of Modern Art 5:30pm See the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial  7:00pm Dinner Cruise with DJ on the Potomac River  10:30pm Arrive back at hotel  

 

 

 Thursday, January 24th  

7:30am Continental breakfast at hotel 8:45am Load buses 9:30am Visit Arlington Cemetery where you will see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, Arlington House and the Kennedy Eternal Flame 11:15am Participate in a wreath laying ceremony  12:15pm Lunch and shopping at the Pentagon City Mall food court   3:00pm Visit Mt. Vernon, George Washington’s home 5:00pm Dinner at the Mt. Vernon Inn  6:30pm Depart for home 

 Friday, January 25th  

7:30am Arrive back at school  

                              

  

 

 

Ground Package Includes Motor coach transportation Dedicated tour manager (one per bus) Three nights lodging at the Hilton Crystal City  Smithsonian Museum of American History  Guided tour of DC’s monuments and historic places Evening illuminations tour of monuments Museum of African American History and Culture  Holocaust Memorial Museum  U.S. Capitol Tour Supreme Court National Archives Madame Tussaud’s Museum of Wax Tour of Arlington National Cemetery National Mall Mt. Vernon Ford’s Theatre  Group photo at the Capitol  Four breakfasts at the Hilton Crystal City  Lunch at the USDA Food Court  Lunch at the Capitol Visitor’s Center Lunch in the American History Museum Lunch at Pentagon City Mall Dinner at Buca di Beppo Dinner and jousting tournament at Medieval Times  

Dinner cruise with DJ Dinner at the Mt. Vernon Inn One scarf per traveler   Two million dollar liability insurance policy Name badges with emergency phone numbers  Two nighttime hotel security guards  Basic traveler's insurance- purchased on behalf of the traveler - to cover medical expenses and trip delays Online registration and billing  Trip Cancellation Protection  

   

 

 

  

Chaperone Expectations  Thank you for your interest in chaperoning for your child’s trip!! We are firm believers that travel opens eyes and minds and creates young adults that are better prepared to live a fulfilling life. Thank you for making this possible!   This will be very di�erent than a family vacation. Decisions have been made that allow a large group to maximize their time in a city while o�ering a great value. The trip is designed for the interests, attention span, and palate of a student. Here is what you can expect as a chaperone:  

The itinerary is pre-arranged. We ask that you be punctual and positive. You may wish you had three hours to explore a museum but simultaneously a group of students are bored in the lobby. Again, this trip is geared toward students.   Meals are designed to feed the masses with speed in mind. You may get a voucher that will purchase your choice of an entree, side and drink from several di�erent vendors. Or cash back for a meal at any restaurant in a certain neighborhood. There will be pre-set bu�ets and group menus where you have your choice of five entrees. We are happy to accommodate any dietary restrictions, just let us know.   Encourage kids to try local foods for an authentic travel experience.   Encourage kids to drink water. Dehydration is the number one cause of illness on our tours and it is preventable.   Smoking, cursing and consumption of alcohol in front of students is discouraged. Please check with your group leader for rules specific to your trip.   You will be asked to look after other people’s children. Please know who you are responsible for and their whereabouts at all times. Please treat the kids in your group equally, this can be di�cult when your own child is with you. The goal is for all students to have a safe and equally fun experience.   Encourage your fellow travelers to use their restroom opportunities and avoid using the bathroom on the bus. Whatever gets deposited on the bus will remain there throughout the trip.  Defer to the group leader and tour manager when decisions are necessary. Should there be a bump in the road, please stay flexible and positive. The tour manager and group leader will decide on an alternate plan that will best accommodate your group.   Be prepared for long days with a lot of walking. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. The goal is to see as much of the destination city as possible.   Have so so much fun!! This is a trip your child will never forget!!   

 

 

 

  

Chaperone Application   Please return chaperones application to Mr Moretta. Chaperones must be an approved volunteer with Saint John’s County. Chaperones will be chosen at random and notified by email. Once selected, chaperones will be asked to register online and submit deposit payment. Cost per chaperone (2 per hotel room) is $1,089.   Chaperone’s Name:____________________________________________________________   Chaperone’s Cell Phone Number:___________________________________________________   Chaperone’s Email Address:______________________________________________________   Child’s Name:________________________________________________________________   Child’s Home Room Teacher:_____________________________________________________   Please sign, acknowledging that you have read and accept the chaperone expectations:    Signature: __________________________________________    Date:______________________